Oven-Roasted Green Beans with Shallots
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These roasted green beans are a fresh take on your everyday green beans. This recipe could not be easier to bake on a sheet pan, giving you perfectly brown and tender beans with crisp edges, tangled with crispy, caramelized shallots.
Name your favorite vegetable recipes. I’ll tell you one of mine — these roasted green beans with slivers of caramelized shallots that are tender, oven-crisp and tasty as all get-out.
I think of this recipe as a welcome alternative to the traditional grandma-style green bean casserole when it comes to vegetable side dishes (which can be a bit indulgent, let’s be real). That means a lighter, fresher and more modern way to enjoy green beans!
I’ve been skeptical about roasting green beans because it’s so easy to steam or boil and enjoy these green beans smothered in brown butter. But my mind changed forever after tasting how freaking good fresh green beans are when they’re roasted in the oven.
Ingredient overview:
If you’ve been assigned green-bean duty for a Thanksgiving holiday dinner or to bring a side dish to a potluck, you’ll be happy that this recipe has a very short list of ingredients and hardly any prep required.
- Fresh green beans: This dish is ALL about the green beans, so look for perky-looking fresh beans that don’t look old, dry or limp.
- Shallot: This petite variety of onion adds an elevated touch to just about anything roasted in the oven — the natural sugars in shallots crisp up and caramelize beautifully. Red onion will work if you don’t have a shallot on hand.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper: I use coarse kosher salt and black peppercorns from a pepper mill.
- Lemon zest: From a fresh lemon.
Chef tip for the best roasted green beans: I found during my testing for this recipe that roasting vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven is a game changer. It’s a trick I learned from a this chef’s cookbook. It seems almost too easy, but it works!
Roasted green beans, step-by-step
- For the best results, use a large (half-sheet) pan and place it on the lowest rack in a hot oven. The green beans will turn out with a vibrant color and concentrated flavor.
- The heat near the bottom of the oven is more even and direct, so you get perfect caramelizing on your green beans without overcooking, in a shorter amount of time.
1. Pat dry the washed beans with a towel. 
2. Arrange the beans on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and thin-sliced shallots.
3. Toss together on the sheet pan. 4. Roast 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees, until the beans are tender and the are shallots crisp and sweet.
Variations
These roasted green beans taste delicious just as they are, but there’s room to get a little creative:
- Sprinkle with Parmesan, goat or crumbled feta cheese.
- A pinch of crushed red pepper.
- Toss them with sliced, toasted almonds (hello green beans almondine!)
- Add chopped fresh tender herbs such as parsley, tarragon or chives.
Oven-Roasted Green Beans with Shallots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Freshly grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 (225C) degrees and arrange a rack on the lowest shelf.
- Pat the green beans dry with a clean towel. Put them on a large rimmed baking sheet. Add the oil, shallot, salt and pepper. Toss together and arrange the beans in an even layer.
- Roast until the beans are beginning to blister, turn golden brown and the shallots are caramelized. To cook evenly, flip them around with tongs after they've been in the oven about 10 minutes. Depending on your oven it should take 15-20 minutes until they're done.
- To serve, transfer the beans to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle the lemon zest over the top.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- To prep 1-2 days ahead: Trim the beans, rinse them under cold water, and pat dry. Put them in a zip-top bag and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Leftover roasted green beans: The green beans tend to soften and wilt as they sit, but still taste great. Reheat them briefly in a microwave, or give them a quick toss in a hot saute pan on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Serving ideas
- Roasted green beans are a favorite side dish to any hearty meal, or as a simple dinner with assorted vegetables.
- I love to serve them with Lemon Roasted Chicken and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes, Skillet Brown Sugar Pork Chops or with along with a big bowls of pasta.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Leave a comment and star rating
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Theses were delicious. Don’t skimp on the shallot: it’s key to the flavor. I used two and it was perfect. Add the lemon zest at the end. The bottom rack roasting technique is a keeper as well. Thanks for a great recipe.
Love it, Joe! Totally agree that shallots are the secret weapon here. And that lemon zest at the end is chef’s kiss 😘🍋 So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Very easy to follow recipe. I felt the taste was a bit bland but I sprinkled a very small amount of ginger and it was great.
This is my new favorite way to eat green beans! So easy and delicious!
These look so good — I’m going to put green beans on my shopping list this week!!